on idea to sell land,
build new facility
Vote will enable E.B. to proceed toward sale
Council gets earful
on idea to sell land,
build new facility
By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
A proposal to sell East Brunswick property and build a multiuse facility and theater has met with opposition from critics.
The room was nearly packed at Monday night’s Township Council meeting as residents and officials debated the merits of selling property on Dunhams Corner Road. The township would use the proceeds to build a new facility on the 147-acre Heavenly Farms site on Cranbury Road.
Mayor William Neary has said the facility is desirable because it would accommodate the needs of various groups in town.
Many residents fear the new facility would wind up costing them money, despite Neary’s contention that it can be paid for through the sale of the Dunhams Corner Road property, the present site of Playhouse 22.
Residents argued the administration should not sell the land because it will allow for the construction of approximately five single-family homes.
Neary said the property sale could fetch $1 million from a developer. He proposed the Heavenly Farms property, which is being purchased by the township, as the site for the 15,000-square-foot multiuse facility, which would include a new theater and performing arts auditorium, as well as room for other uses.
The township would have to find a new home for Playhouse 22 if it were to sell the current site, Township Attorney Michael Baker said, because of a longstanding lease agreement between the local community theater troupe and the township.
The sometimes heated discussion occurred Monday during a public hearing on an ordinance that would declare the Dunhams Corner Road property as surplus. The ordinance — which was adopted in a 3-1 vote by the council at the meeting — allows the township to solicit bids for the sale.
Neary stressed, as did some council members, that there is no guarantee the sale or multiuse facility will ever become a reality. Much more research needs to be done before the governing body decides to sell the property, he said.
Neary has said repeatedly that by declaring the property surplus, the council is only agreeing to examine the concept.
The township is under no obligation to sell the property, Baker said.
Regardless, many residents spoke out against the ordinance and idea.
Robert Tagliente, who ran for council last year as a Republican, said the Dunhams Corner Road property should be used for open space, not more development.
He said the administration has no way of knowing it could cover all building costs for the new facility with the money from the property sale. In addition to building costs, there would also be upkeep expenses such as maintenance and insurance, he said.
Tagliente noted that the deal to purchase Heavenly Farms is not yet set in stone.
His remarks were greeted with applause from many in the crowd.
Michael Opaleski, also a member of the township’s Republican Party, said the town should tear down the aging buildings at the Dunhams Corner Road property and convert the area to a park.
He echoed Tagliente’s comments, saying there are too many unanswered questions surrounding the administration’s proposal.
Opaleski suggested the town use the Kelemen or Lapinski farms, both purchased by the township and located near the municipal complex, as a location for a multiuse facility.
The idea does have its supporters and they include members of the township’s Youth Council. Brianne Katz, president of the group, said its 200-plus members need a place to meet and have activities. Though the township has let the council use its Nature Center as a home, Katz said that structure is much too small.
Karen Theer, who runs the Youth Council, said the multiuse facility would provide the community with a place to go on a regular basis.
‘‘All of our residents would enjoy a center which would provide a greater quality of life," she said.
Estelle Goldsmith, the township historian and chairwoman of the Cultural Arts Commission, said the commission is unanimously in favor of the proposal. However, as historian, she has concerns about what would happen to historical sites such as the Grange building, which is located on the Dunhams Corner Road property.
Councilwoman Christi Calvano, the lone Republican on the council and the dissenter in the vote, pointed out a number of issues she had with Neary’s idea. She said she spoke with residents who live near the property and who do not want to see the area developed with more homes.
Calvano said the five or so new homes could bring at least 10 more children into the township’s already crowded schools.
"We keep saying there would be no cost to taxpayers but I don’t agree," she told Neary. She said Neary has not factored in costs such as plumbing and electrical wiring.
She also pointed out that Neary’s son, Adam, sits on the theater troupe’s board, and that the township has forgiven an $80,000 loan to the playhouse.
Baker said that about 25 years ago, a Democrat-controlled council loaned the money to the theater, and years later a Republican-led council forgave the loan.
Calvano said there are other needs in town as well, including more space for the library and added senior center parking.
She said she and others worry about the administration’s overall proposal.
"People don’t have faith in this administration," she said.
Neary said people are overlooking the fact that at this point he is only asking for the council to agree to look into the idea. He said he did not want to pay professionals to come up with concrete plans only to have the council turn around and oppose the concept.
Council President Donald Klemp also stressed that the township is not bound to sell the property or build the new facility under this ordinance.